A Korean Folktale Inspires the Creative Process
Designer Jiyoun Kim and his eponymous studio recently created 24 Dokkaebi stools as part of the Hangang Art Park project in Seoul, Korea. The event's theme was 'resting' and Kim created a unique take on the concept. Hangang Art Park was launched by Seoul's leadership as an attempt to introduce local art into public spaces across the city, specifically the parks alongside the Han river. Four creators, each working in different areas, were carefully selected by the city of Seoul, Jiyoun Kim was one of the four.

The common topic of the project was 'Suim', which simply translates to "resting" in English. A Dokkaerbi, like a troll in European tales, is an imaginary monster frequently mentioned in old Korean folk stories. Trolls and Dokkaerbi both with ugly and unattractive faces have a clear distinction: Dokkaebi is not a monster that merely finds victims to murder, but rather is a joyful spirit that rewards people for good deeds and punishes those who do evil. In Korean culture, a Dokkaebi is seen as having god like abilities to judge and punish.